Dream
by LunaChi KuroShihone
Summary: Shirou and Saber reunite in Avalon, and we mostly know his side of the tale, but what happened to the King of Knights, while she waited for him? / "What...?" She blinked, dumbstruck by the sight before her. "This place is truly bizarre, even by my standards." / Or, the story in which the Fae have their fun messing with the king, and Merlin helps out.


_„_ _If you want to meet again as normal people, two miracles must occur._ _  
_ _One must wait continuously, one must pursue endlessly._ _  
_ _They must realize that it is impossible to succeed yet at the same time be capable of enduring patiently. Is that… the story of a dream that shouldn't be waited upon?"_

Those were the words last heard by one King of Knights, as she fell into the endless slumber of death.

Those were the words her soul rejoiced at, and her heart fluttered.

At last, her duty had been done, the contract was broken, and she was free of her burdens to both Britain and herself.

Somewhere in this endless void, Artoria gave a small, content huff.

Merlin said that the wish was probably foolish – so be it then; if being together with _him_ was foolish, then she gladly was the worlds biggest fool.

She would wait forever, and in the depths of her heart, she knew that _he_ would search forever.

For once in her life, Artoria Pendragon – both the girl and the King – was truly, contently, happy.

There was a sudden softness, a benign and welcome feel around her, and she opened her eyes reflexively -

– and gasped. Because before her was a vast, green expanse of the lushest, softest-looking grass she had ever seen. Tentatively reaching down to brush against the grass blades, her eyes trailed around the field she was on.

There was no doubt as to where she was: Avalon, the Everdistant Utopia, both her scabbard, a place in Britain and the realization of her - _their_ \- dream.

"...unbelievable..."

Artoria blinked once, releasing the bonds of the spell that kept her speechless. Slowly, she stood up, as if creating any kind of sound would disrupt the illusion before her. Once standing, she took notice of the clothing she was wearing; which was not armor, nor bloodied or torn. It was a beautiful blue dress, made out of something like cotton or silk – most probably faerie silk, like her actual battle gown, but the consistency and feel was completely different.

Suddenly overcome with a childish giddiness, she spun around, arms stretching outward, and dress fluttering behind her – only to loose her footing and fall back on the grass, rolling once, and finally stopping.

She giggled.

Small puffs of air escaped in front of her as her breath returned, and Artoria willed her pulse to slow, lest she die of heart stroke.

She glanced up at the sky, a content smile on her lips.

 _'This truly is Avalon... never have I seen such magnificence in my life before; even my dear Camelot pales._ '

A pang of guilt overcame her, remembering her castle and the knights residing within it.

' _I truly hope that everything is fine._ '

She lay there, a gentle breeze brushing across the plain, rustling her hair, until it turned dusk.

Artoria seated herself up, looking across the field at the surrounding forest, standing in stark contrast to the dimming light of the sun. She would have to head there eventually, she knew. If there was even a small chance of a downpour, she didn't wish to be caught within it. There was reluctance, however. She didn't know why, but she had the feeling that this field was special – in more ways than one.

She ignored the feeling for now, heading into the direction of the forest.

Her eyes skimmed around, always, not being used to be so ... _naked_. She always had some kind of blade or weapon with her, and instincts honed by battles told her that she was easy prey.

' _But then again_ ,' she thought, ' _I seem to be the only person here – what could probably harm me in this place?_ '

"What the-?" Artoria couldn't help but be surprised, there were small glowing lights at the edge of the forest she was approaching. "Maybe I was wrong, and there are people living here, other than me?"

She was cautious to call out however, so she simply approached further.

Belatedly, Artoria noticed her mistake – the lights were not, as she presumed, torches, but little glowing orbs with wings – fairies. They were fluttering around the edge of the forest, illuminating it. She stood dumbstruck, not knowing what to do.

"Ah... excuse me?"

None of the lights turned to her, so she tried again.

"Excuse me?"

Still no response. ' _Maybe they do not understand what I am saying?_ ' It was not completely unthinkable; she learned from Merlin that the Fairies and Fae used a different language, which either resembled chirping, or was impossible to talk without breaking your tongue.

"Excuse-" she was about to try a third time, when a soft voice interrupted her.

"They do not understand common tongue, Chosen King. They only speak _Fai'hie_ , the language of fairies."

Artoria whirled around, to find a child sitting on a tree rump, holding one of the fairies on her outstretched finger.

"Who-?"

"I am the Sage of the Forest, Shaylee. And you are the Once and Future King of Britain, Arthur Pendragon - " the child curtsied, " - the forest is delighted to finally meet you in person."

Artoria looked somewhat surprised, but copied the curtsy, eliciting a surprised sound from the forest child.

"My pleasure as well, Lady Shaylee."

The little fairy bobbled up and down as well, and Shaylee smiled. "...you probably have a lot of questions, Lord King, so if you would please follow me?"

Artoria nodded, and went to follow, but halted. "...if it was possible, please do not call me that."

The green-eyed child turned around. "What shall I call you then?"

A smile graced Artoria's lips. There was no doubt to what she wished to be called. "Saber. Please call me that."

* * *

~Everdistant Dream~

* * *

The forest turned out to be just as magnificent as the field, if not more so: the light of the little fairies (Guardian Fairies, mostly, with the red being healing fairies) illuminated everything, and the ground seemed to softly glow wherever Artoria stepped. It reminded her of Merlin once more, because flowers seemed to grow wherever he went; because of that he earned the moniker 'Flower Magus', after all.

She missed them, her old friends. But even more so she missed _them_ – Rin and Ilya and Sakura and Shirou.

Artoria gave an almost inaudible sigh, and had to smile softly as the little red fairy flew up to her, fluttering erratically. "I am fine, Vina."

Shay looked at the female king and smiled, chirruping to the fairy. When she was back at the forest child's side, she asked. "Excuse me for prying, but why choose a name like 'Saber'?"

Artoria chuckled. "Because I was more of a person as Saber than I ever was as either the King or the Girl." Her cheeks reddened, to which Shay looked on in wonder, "...and I learned more things as Saber about myself than I ever thought possible.

"Tell me, have you ever heard about the Holy Grail War? Not the search I sent Percival and Galahad on."

She nodded. "Yes, we are aware of the dispute between Gaia and Alaya, and about the Throne of Heroes – Avalon keeps itself out of it, but many of the heroes the Fae take a liking to have been taken by the Throne – like Diarmuid of Fianna."

"I see." Artoria looked thoughtful for a moment, "as I was saying, I was summoned as Saber into the forth and fifth war."

The child gave a bitter smile, and Artoria had the sudden feeling that she was being scolded by a mother, "We are aware. While not all of us are privy enough of the reasons, we nonetheless know of it – Lady Vivian was distraught, when she retrieved Excalibur."

"Ah," She was taken aback, "Y-yes... anyways; I met extraordinary people in both wars, especially the fifth. They turned into the most wonderful family I ever had, even though they knew that I would disappear after the war." She smiled again. "And they taught me to live without regret."

Shay smiled herself, "Truly, those must have been extraordinary people indeed."

There was silence after that, Artoria not knowing if she should continue or not, and Shaylee not wishing to interrupt the King's musing. They were nearing a small clearing in the forest, where the path diverged into two; and their pace halted. Vina was resting on a nearby leaf, and all were waiting for Artoria's response – herself included.

"Shirou... my Master... he – we made an unspoken promise to each other. On the hill, where I vanished."

A nonvocal response by the forest child spurred her on. "We promised to meet each other again, no matter how long the wait or how impossible it might be." Her cheeks reddened, "Merlin called me foolish for it, but I truly believe that we will meet again, someday."

"Such a wonderful promise." Shaylee was smiling warmly at Artoria, "That Shirou must truly be a special person, to ensnare the heart of the King."

Artoria closed her eyes and hummed, "That he is, dear friend, that he is."

"And I am sure that both of you will fulfill this promise of yours." Shay grinned at her, going along the right path. After walking a short distance, the Fairy-Child turned around, and bowed; the healing fairy bobbed in the air. "As much as it pleased me to talk to you, however, our paths diverge from now on. Take the left path, and you will find yourself leaving the forest, for our time together comes to an end, King of Knights."

"...I see." Artoria looked at her, smiling faintly. The term _'resting place of King Arthur'_ truly was taken to its extreme, apparently. She sighed, turning into the direction to her left.

Shortly before crossing the pair, she glanced back, however. "May I call both of you friends?"

"Of course! We'd be honored, Saber."

"My thanks. Farewell, Shaylee, Vina."

And she walked into the forest, slowly loosing sight of the inhabitants, as well as the fairies.

* * *

~Everdistant Dream~

* * *

Once she was out of the forest, and back onto a seemingly endless meadow, Artoria turned around. She could see the forest moving, almost flowing, as it shifted. Aligning itself new, creating new paths in its darkness, so that those who did not live there would never find the path they walked beforehand again.

It was an amazing spectacle to watch, she mused.

Alas, it was dark outside, and she had no shelter for the night. She technically could simply sleep on the grass, as the weather was truly wonderful.

' _Neither too warm, nor too cold. Truly, this place is a dream._ ' And it had been long as well, since she last slept outside without a care. ' _The last time I've done something as such was even before I drew Caliburn_.'

Her mind made up, she sought out the most comfortable looking patch of grass and laid down on it.

"This must be heaven," her voice was but a murmur now, her feeling oddly sleepy, "if heaven were such a lonely place..." Fireflies were lighting up the meadow, crawling with little noise up the longer grass blades, where they shook once, and flew aloft. Artorias eyes drooped. "...Shirou... please hurry..."

Sleep came naturally to the exhausted blonde, and her dreams were filled with laughing people sitting around a table, smiling and exchanging tales of their daily lives; herself included, not dressed in armor or silken finery as befitting of kings, but in simple white and blue clothing, provided to her by one of the houses residents.

She missed them dearly; and it tugged at her heart that she would not be able to see them alive again.

* * *

~Everdistant Dream~

* * *

With waking came the feeling of drowsiness, and disorientation, and Artoria had to blink away the morning grogginess that overtook her. She felt as if she'd slept more than one night, but there was no way for her to confirm that, so she left that train of thought.

There was a slight, low hanging mist, and the grass was wet from morning dew, and the King of Knights did nothing but lie in the grass for the good half of the morning, contemplating her situation once again.

She truly was in Avalon.

She truly was in Avalon, alone.

She was in Avalon, _seemingly_ alone, and Shirou was a good twenty millennia out of her reach and time.

Twenty millennia is quite a lot of time, she mused, turning her wandering gaze up at the cloudless sky;

 _It is a good thing that I intend to wait, then. I will not break my promise, I only hope that you keep yours, Shirou._

She only hoped that, when the time came, he truly would search forever.

* * *

After wandering around for some time, it struck Artoria that she had not eaten - by her estimates, at least - for about four days. And while she did not feel the need to eat, nor drink, she still went to the forest edge, where a small stream was located.

Which was not there before, she was sure of.

Still, she drank some of the water, scooping up a handful, and upon further looking, found an apple tree - only that it had both golden and silver apples hanging from its limbs.

"What...?" She blinked, dumbstruck by the sight before her. "This place is truly bizarre, even by my standards."

Artoria touched none of the apples.

* * *

The field was surrounded by another forest, she noted, later that evening. She did not dare venturing too deep however, until she was sure it would not land her in a completely different part of Avalon. Instead, she returned to sleep at the same spot as last night, curled together and watching the fireflies ascend until she nodded off.

This went on for quite some time, and the days stretched to weeks; full of exploring the meadows that were parted by stretches of lush forest, which were, unlike the Lost Woods -as she started calling the changing forests- unwavering. They had their own sense of peace and mystery, however.

Especially the forest to her west, which seemed to be inhabited by unseelies and changelings and other such creatures - though, they never showed themselves to her, if they truly were there.

She started calling that stretch of woods Walachia, and systematically named the different locations, out of sheer boredom by her seventh week in Avalon.

She would oftentimes see wild game as well, and could approach it. If she was careful, the deers and does didn't scatter, and simply grazed next to her, while she leaned against an old tree and watched.

She'd strike up conversation with the animals, which internally had her berating herself - in a tone not dissimilar to either Kay or Rin ( _bless the gods those two would never meet_ ) - but she knew was needed to maintain her sanity.

And sometimes, rarely, did she get the feeling that the animals were either laughing at her or pitying her with their gazes. Then, she'd simply leave.

* * *

~Everdistant Dream~

* * *

By her approximated tenth week, Artoria had explored everything in a vicinity of a three-meadow-radius around her first one, and was getting annoyed as she tried to find something to eat.

She'd noticed already quite timely that whenever she thought strong enough about wishing to eat something, the Ancestors bless it, a vine would magically expand itself and offer some sort of fruit, or mushrooms would grow out of the ground, ready to be eaten.

But everything - from the apples on her first day, to the vegetables, to the wild funghi that grew in the forests and were edible to humans - was either golden or silver.

And she has had enough interaction with the Fae to know that it would bode her not well if she ate any of it.

And as she tried once again, to eat something -simply to pass the endless time- and the pears were golden, Artoria sighed in frustration and cried out, startling the doe grazing next to her ( _she assumed that all of these animal came through little passages that connected Avalon to woods across the world, and that only animals were able to traverse trough them, to flee from hunters and the likes, she met one unicorn or the other already, with its horn clipped or otherwise injured; she'd more than once tried to follow them back, always with negative results_ ).

"Whatever force there is, in this place," her gaze looked around, finally setting on the glistening lake, "I ask of you: I do not need the finery of golden or silver food. Neither the golden apples nor the silver pears; I am completely satisfied with the normal food. If it was in your might to, mayhap, change them back to their original state? I would be eternally grateful."

Artoria actually didn't think someone would answer her, so she was surprised that the pears changed from golden to their normal, yellowish color. She was even less prepared, when the water suddenly came to life, and a water spirit - a nymph - formed out of it, looking at her with its see-trough body.

"You truly have a good heart, oh King." its voice had a watery quality to it, sounding like chiming bells. "You could have amassed a great amount of wealth from the food of gold and silver, or you could have hunted these animals and hurt them; like those they wished to escape from. Yet you not only refrained from hunting them, but healed them to the best of your abilities."

The nymph started deforming itself again, and it spoke one last time, this time with a voice of many, "We are very content, oh King, and hope that thou will continue to not disappoint us and exceed our expectations. Farewell."

Artoria's eyes widened, and she shook herself out of her shock at seeing, hearing, another creature again, and she hurried to the already disappearing messenger.

"Wait! Please, I wish to talk to you-"

Alas, by the time she reached the lake, the only indication of another person was the rippling of the surface of the water.

* * *

~Everdistant Dream~

* * *

Whenever Artoria dreamed, almost all of her dreams were filled with those last few days of the war, where all of them - Rin, Sakura, Illya and Shirou, sometimes even the different Servants, or Illyasviel's parents, or Taiga, were sitting around the dinner table, laughing and having fun. Her heart would ache for them, and the next day when she awoke, she felt a weight in her chest that was not there the other day.

Other times, she dreamed of her knights; of the days of yore, when everything was still perfect. Of the first time she met Bedivere, Lancelot or Percival, when she visited Guinevere or hid from Kay's scolding.

When she pulled Caliburn, and Merlin warned her of her future.

When she first met Mordred.

Even rarer, she had dreams about covenants, how someone gave up his life by the sword and turned to those holy places, as repentance, or as solace. And how that person always seemed to mourn her death.

Or she dreamed about a place in a different land, where people - _knights_ \- went, either into exile or to start a new life.

Whenever she woke up from those dreams, she had streaks of tears on her face, as if she'd cried in the night.

Other times, Artoria dreamed of darkness, of a field of swords, a graveyard of thousands upon thousands of swords, _unlimited_ swords-

It was a sad dream, but she couldn't recall why.

Of course, there were also oddities amongst her dreams; dreams in which she was a man and Shirou a girl, in which Kiritsugu was a _nice_ Master, or variations thereof. Where her knights were the women and she the King, or where Merlin was a dragon warlord. Dreams about Excalibur being broken into seven pieces, about her going to school like a normal girl, and - to Artorias belief the strangest of them all - in which her and her knights were on the quest for the Holy Grail, and the French were involved, Knights-who-say-Ni, horrendous rabbits and coconuts.

* * *

~Everdistant Dream~

* * *

Artoria was standing at a cliff side, her gaze looking out at the sea below her. A gentle breeze was blowing, and it swept her hair, open, into disarray. She sighed, looking blankly out at the horizon.

This was the third big obstacle she found. The other two being the Lost Woods and the cliff southernmost from her waking plain.

 _Another dead end, then._ She sighed again, turning her gaze away. She'd already tried scaling down the cliff, even managed it, but she had no chance to cross the sea. No boat or raft that she could use.

How much time had passed, since she last met the water nymph? More than she would like. Avalon truly was a lonely place.

"Shirou…" _I miss you_. She'd promised that she would wait, but it truly was a long time. Maybe she over anticipated her own strength? No, she would never stop waiting for him, even if she went mad from isolation. She promised, after all.

"…still, sometimes I wish that time would pass sooner…"

Artoria started walking back into the direction she came from, down south to her 'Awakening Plain' as she'd come to call it.

Not knowing how much time passed was probably the most frustrating to her. She had no measurement to know when she was, or when they'd meet again.

After the initial wonder of her first few months in Avalon, she soon found out why it was called 'her' resting place; there was no soul that lived there that dared to talk to her, even when she'd openly request it.

This place was not as much a heaven as it was a gilded cage for her alone.

And while this effectively saved her soul from entering the throne of heroes, it also cut her off completely from the human world. Even Scathach, technically in the same position as her, had at least _some_ limited contact with the Outerworld.

Artoria sighed again, passing into a small lowland with various trees.

She furrowed her brows, wondering what she should do now. She explored everything north, east and south of her. The only part that she could still safely explore was most of the western part, but her results would probably be the same as the other directions: many a months' time of travel, only to be met with a natural obstacle. It was frustrating to her—

"Well, I didn't think you really would be as stubborn as to wait, Artoria."

!

She whirled around, hair whipping, to be met face to face with a white-haired individual. Her eyes widened.

"Merlin!?"

The flower magus grinned at her. "'Tis be good seeing you, my King… oof!"

Artoria threw herself into his arms, smiling with no amount of little relief. He looked at her, surprised, but hugged her back, petting her hair slowly as he noticed her shaking shoulders and silent sobs.

"I missed you, old fool." She said, looking up at him through her tears.

"I know." He answered, looking down at her with his own glistening eyes.

Still, his impulsive nature overcame him, and he showed her back slightly, still within arms' reach, and started circling her in that 'Merlin' sort of way, which basically meant skipping around the undergrowth, sometimes crouching, sometimes leaning on his staff, but almost always invading personal space. Artoria had to chuckle at his antics, but complied anyway, stretching her arms out for better balance as he whirled around her with a thinking countenance.

"Hmm… I have to say, you look stunning with the dress and your hair open, but…"

She looked questioningly at him, and his staff came to a halt, hovering slightly before her chest. "I'm afraid, other development is still… lackluster, oh King."

He poked her chest.

"M-Merlin!" Artoria's voice went up a pitch, and she covered her breasts, despite wearing the dress.

The magus laughed and patted her head. "Sorry… I've always wished to try this out."

She glared at him, but held no real anger at her old mentor and his antics; instead, she let herself fall onto the soft grass, closed her eyes, and asked: "What brings you here, old friend?"

He sat down next to her, staff propped against his side.

"I'm simply visiting an old friend."

Artoria glanced through a slightly opened eyelid at him, and huffed. "That is a lie. This place is a cage; the only person I can interact with is myself. All of the fair folk do not show themselves to me, and making a cage gilded makes it no less a cage. So I repeat myself: why are you here, Merlin?"

Her eyes, now open, looked at him, unwavering, and the magus sighed, brushing a hand through his hair.

"You are stubborn for all the wrong reasons, Artoria."

"Oh?" Her gaze turned skeptical.

"You are aware that, if you would stop this impossible dream of yours, that the 'fair folk' would show itself to you? The only thing that is keeping you in this utter isolation is the boundaries of that dream."

Her mouth turned into an 'o', and her eyes widened in understanding. Merlin lay down on the grass, onto his stomach, propped himself up, and flicked her on the head. Hard.

"What was that for?!" She looked indignantly at him, and he sighed, all good humor gone.

"Even with all this said, you still will continue that dream of yours? The Fae are testing your resolve; both yours' and that boys'. The fact that you still are sane is a wonder. Most people – star crossed lovers – never truly manage to fulfill this prophecy. And that was when both parties were aware of it! Not just one!" His voice grew louder, and he looked at Artoria with something akin to exasperation. "Who is he anyways, that you'd do something like this?"

"Shirou Emiya." Her voice was firm. Resolute. "The adopted son of Kiritsugu Emiya, my Master, and my scabbard. And," Artoria put her hand over her heart, and her face eased into a smile, "I am convinced that he shall fulfill his end, just as I do mine."

"You aren't even halfway done, you are aware?"

"That matters little. I know that he will search for me, and thus I shall wait for him."

Merlin stared at her, unblinkingly. The seconds of silence passed into minutes, until he finally sighed.

"How can you be so sure?"

Her smile widened, and her outstretched hand balled into a fist over her heart. "I simply know."

He regarded her a moment longer, then…

"Ow!" Artoria's hands went up to her forehead, blinking.

"You truly are stubborn for all the wrong reasons, oh King."

* * *

~Everdistant Dream~

* * *

A short while later, they were standing on the Awakening Plain, Merlin having teleported them there.

"While I appreciate you having brought me back here, I would like to know the reason, Merlin."

Now that he was back in what she'd dubbed ' _normal Merlin Mode'_ , she was rather interested in what he was planning. Gone was his serious mode from before, and he was practically skimming over the grass, creating a little path of flowers as he did so.

"I can't make the time disappear in a second, obviously, but I could help you out, somewhat ~~"

His voice was a sing-song tune, and Artoria looked warily at him. "Which means what, exactly?"

"Well," he grinned, "I can put you to sleep, so to speak. It is actually a state similar to sleep, more like a stasis; but it would shorten the time, somewhat."

He winked his staff around them, and a magic circle appeared under their feet.

"The amount of time would still be very long, but it would be more bearable than spending it awake."

"I see…" Artoria contemplated his words. "…but there has to be some drawback, no?"

"Well…" His expression turned painful. "…if the boy never enters Avalon – if he didn't manage to fulfill his part, or if he gave up, for whatever reason – you will remain in stasis. You will never wake up, to see the light of day again, and you will be, quite frankly, dead. So reconsider it, please?"

Artoria blinked. _I see, so if Shirou gave up, I would 'die' as well… but then_ … She shook her head _, Shirou would never give up, and neither should I._

"…Cast the spell, Merlin."

He sighed. He wasn't surprised by her answer, but still… "Very well, Artoria; I hope you know what you are doing."

And as he finished his 'Sleeping beauty'-spell, and as he gently laid down the girl-king, he pondered if it truly was the right decision. Giving her one last glance however, at her small, serene smile, he knew the answer. He'd help her anytime, just to see such a smile on her face after everything she's faced.

And the flower magus was gone the same way he arrived: only leaving a patch of flowers.

* * *

~Everdistant Dream~

* * *

It was a slow waking, the sort where you become aware that you are dreaming, but you are still within the dreams confines. It took her a surprisingly large amount of strength to only open her eyes, and when she did, Artoria was met with a clear blue sky, completed with a few clouds. She wondered how long she'd slept, but as the grogginess cleared itself from her mind, her heart leapt with joy.

So he'd searched for her, after all.

The small feeling of uneasiness disappeared from her shoulders.

Leaping to her feet with swiftness she didn't think she possessed a mere minute before, Artoria set her sight to the far east of the Awakening Plain, where she –innately- felt a surge of magical energy.

She ran towards the magic, her heart fluttering in anticipation, noting somewhere in the back of her mind that she'd been right, Merlin had been wrong, and all those who did not believe her were fools.

It was possible to reach a miracle.

She stopped then, at the edge of the plain, and stood; arms besides her, quivering with anticipation.

He was there.

Shirou was there.

He was standing still, likewise, looking at her with surprised and happy and glad eyes, a mix of swirling emotions that made both choke their next words; that left both rooted where they were.

And yet, with his next words, everything became irrelevant; the long wait and the long search seemed all but forgotten to both of them.

"I'm back, Saber."

Such simple words, yet they were filled with such nostalgia, almost as if not one day had passed.

A tear trailed down her cheek.

"Yes –welcome back, Shirou."

And as she rushed into his open arms, crying tears of joy, they knew that eternity had just begun.

* * *

Happy Valentine's Day!

A small little one-shot about how I imagine Avalon to be, mostly. I can't seem to make up my mind if it is inhabited or not xD

Read and Review, please!


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